Ollie Pope: I've never doubted I have the game for Test cricket

Pope, who was somewhat surprisingly recalled as England's No.3 for this series, celebrated his 25th Test cap with his highest Test score

Ollie Pope hopes his century at Trent Bridge can signal a fresh start in a career he admits, at this stage, has promised more than it has delivered.

Pope, who was somewhat surprisingly recalled as England’s No.3 by the new management regime of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, admits he was braced for bad news when McCullum called him ahead of the series.

But, encouraged by the confidence of the new management and energised by the sense of enjoyment around the squad, he celebrated his 25th Test cap with his highest Test score.

"I want to be performing, to be honest, more consistently than I have over the last year or so," Pope admitted afterwards. "I’ve not got the numbers I’d have liked to necessarily after 24 Tests.

"It’s not been the easiest ride over the last year or so. There have been a few tough tours away in places like India and Australia and I didn't play a massive amount last summer.

^{Ollie Pope celebrating his century with Joe Root [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

"But I’ve never doubted I have the game for Test cricket. And although those games haven’t all gone to plan, I’ve learned so much about my own game and so much about Test cricket in general. Now I can hopefully start making myself the cricketer that I want to be in Test cricket. Hopefully now I can use this as almost a starting point."

Pope was quick to credit the belief the new management team have placed in him as a crucial factor behind his success. But he also credited the enjoyable environment and the freedom provided by the abandonment of Covid protocols.

"I don't think I was necessarily expecting amazing news at the time Brendon called," he said. "So to get the call initially I was just buzzing. Then he was like 'you're going to be bat at No.3' as well.

"To be honest, not once have I seen it as a negative at all although I've never done it before. This is the first time I felt like I can be a No.3 in red-ball cricket. I've made a few technical adjustments to my game and I’ve tried to tighten up my mindset. So to get these runs sort of certifies that in my mind.

"It’s been so, so, so fun in training. And while I used to have a fear of getting out, I’ve started seeing everything in a more positive light. That's allowed me to play my game and give me a bit more confidence. And that's what I do for Surrey and it's what has brought me a lot of success.

"When you got called-up in the past, it was amazing. But you also knew that you weren’t going to see the outside world for two months or whatever. And that takes its toll on people.

"The lifting of restrictions helps with that bit of fun that we’re trying to have with Test cricket. We had a BBQ at our hotel a couple of days before the game and just being able to get together as a group and spend good time together as a group of mates makes the whole process of Test cricket more enjoyable. I’m loving every minute of it. It’s been so much fun so far."

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